Expression mechanism for pianos.



P. WELN.

EXPRESSION MECHNSM FOB. HANDS.

APPLIOATIQN FILED 1mm, 1905. REHBWBD .1mm 15, 1909.

945,888. Pasned Jan. il, 19M;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PETER WELIN, or NEWCASTLE,` INDIANA, AssiGNoa, ,BY ivinsnn ASSIGNMENTS,To

KRELL AUTO-GRAND PIANO CO. OF AMERICA, OF CONNERSVILLE, INDIANA A COR--rIORATION OF INDIANA.

EXPRESSION MECHANISM FOR PIANOS.

Specification of Letters Patent. patented 'JlL' 11, 1910.

Application vfiled. December 7,' .1905, Serial No. 230,750. Renewed.Tune 15, 1909. Serial No. l.

jTo all whom tt may concern: y Be it known that I. Parnu WELIN, acitizen of the United States, residing at Newcastle, 1n the county ofHenry and State of Indiana, have invemed a. new and useful ExpressionMechanism for Pianos, of-which the following is a specification. Thisinvention relatesto a construction for softening the notes sounded on apiano.

The invention )relates especially to automatic pianos. i

The object of this invention is to varyingly soften the notes sounded bya piano, the maximum softening effect being produced on the lower bassnotes, and from which maximum 'softening a gradual return to normalstriki1igaction is secured-so that there -will be no marked breakin theentire compass of the piano betweensuccessive notes.

To this end-this invention consists of the modulating mechanism for apiano action. and of the combinations of parts therewith as hereinafterdescribed and more particularlypointed out in the claims at the end oi.

this specification.

`In the accompanying drawing, Figure l isa diagrammatic perspectivevieiv of sufficient parts of a piano action to illustrate theapplication of this 4invention thereto, and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the hammer-rail.

for striking all the notes Within the range of the automatic playinginstrumentalities. In practice it. has been found impractical to producethe best artistic' results from these automatic pianos for the reasonthat when the notes are sounded with equal force the heavier bass noteswill predominate. To overcome this, mostautomatic pianos are nowprovidedwith a' divided action which permits the softening of all thebass notes within the range of the playing clevices,\\liile leaving thetreble notes to be sounded With full force. vThe dividing of the actionof an automatic piano in this wayis objectionable as the division mustbefmadeat some -arbitrarily selected note, and between two suecessivenotes of the piano there is necessarily vforthe bass notes which willproduce a varving softening` efl'ecthaving amaximum eli'ect onthe lowerbass notes and comparatively little softening effect on the higher bassnotes.

By means of this invention I have been enabled to produce an automaticpiano in which there is no marked difference in the timbre or loudnessof successive notes, but in which at the same time the bass notes willbe sufficiently softened so that they will not drown out the air or beundesirably prominent.

'In the particular construction which I have shifted or moved fromnormal position when a modulating action is desired, and the hamniershifting mechanism is so mounted and conihined with the hammers that thehammers of the lower bass notes will have a comparatively short stroke,while the hammers for the higher bass notes will be permitted to haveylonger strokes, gradually 1nentire series of hammers of the bass notesof` the piano. .The hammers when in Inormal position are supported bythe usual hammerrest rail R which is stiifened by a metal shell M. Theseparts may be of the ordinary or usual construction used in piano actionsand need not be herein illustrated or described in detail. y

Fastened along the lower edge of the face l of the htgnmer rest rail isafelt-cushion 10. The upper edge of this cushion of felt 10 isleftunattached orv'free from the hammerherein illus'nted the hammersare- 9 @frases rail so that ine same can be swung forward as illustratedby dotted lines -in Fig. 2.

In order to s iving the :telt cushion forward to progressively .diminishthe impact of the hammers, l have provided a rod ll carried by pivotedarms l2, l5 and 14. T he arm let nearest the center of the piano iscomparatively short, While the arms 13 and 1:2 are each successivelysomewhat longer. By means of this construction when the rod 11 is swungor turned to move the felt cushion 10, the end of the rod. nearest thelower bass hammers Will be moved in the longer distance; While the endnearer the center of the piano will have but slight, if any, movement.

'The shifting of the -rod l'l is preferably controlled by connectionsfrom a hand-lever located in convenient position near the pianokey-board. As herein illust'ate l, these connections comprise a link l5which is con-` nected at one end to the rod ll by means of a slot 16.Atv its' other end the link 15 is connected 'to an arm l? fastened on avertiealfroelt-shaiit i9. vCooperating with the arm 17 is a-holdingspring 18 vfor holding the bar l1 in its adjusted position. Near itslower end the shaft- 19 is provided with an arm 2O connected by a linl2l4 toa hand lever S22. ll'hen the hand lever 22 is shifted in thedirection of the arrow the hammers will be moved to produce the desiredprogressive.modulated etlect, and the hammers will be -retained in theirshifted positions by the spring 1S. When the parts are in normalposition they will not interfere With the shifting of the hammer-restrail by pedal aetioniin the ordinary Way producing sot? tening effects.

While -have illustrated and described one particular form in-.\vl'1ichthis invention may be embodied, l am aware that many modifictitious mayhe made therein by any person skilled in the art Without departing,vfrom the 'scope ot' the invention as expressed in the claims. Therefore,l. do not Wish to be. limited to the particular form of constructionshown, butA 'll/That l do claim y i.' In a piano, the combination With aseries of striking devices, of means for reducing the-.normal length otstroke of all the strihingdevices and reducing the length ol stroke oithose at one end in a maximum degree and or" those on the other end in aminimum degree while all the others are re-v` duced to intermediatedegrees gradually varying all the Way fromioneend ofthe seriesto-theother, and meansfor holding said redueing'means in adjustedpositions.

QQIn a piano, the combination with the hammers of means for adjustingthe rear- Ward position ,of the hammers.toward the strings to secure areduction of the length of stroke of all the hammers from the normal,varying all the way -from the treble end to the bass end, the maximumreduction being at the bass end and means. for frictionally holding saidadjusting means in any adjusted position, whereby the adjusting meansmay be left in any desired position, and the maximum reduction at thebass end may be ot' any desired amount.

In a piano, the combination with the hammers and a series of strings, ofmeans for supporting the hammers normally at equal distances from thestrings, and means ior moving the hammer-supporting means toward thestrings to a position at-an angle with respect to its normal position,the Isupporting means when adjusted being rnearest the lstrings at oneend ot' the series, Whereb)v the reduction of the length of stroke ofall the hammers ivill be secured gradually all the Way from one end tothe other end witl a maximum reduction at one end andv a mini mum amountof reduction at the other end and means for t'rictionallv holding thesup porting means in any adjusted position.

l. -In a piano, the combination ot the ham mers, a hammer rest rail, alflexiblc'cushioi'i mounted on theface of the hammer rest rail. and meansfor moving the '.lcxible cushion to an angular position ivith respecttothe han'mier rest rail.

ln a piano, the comlgiination ot' the hammers, the hammer rest rail, aflexible cushion 'mounted on the face ot' the hammer rest rail, andmeans for moving the cushion to an angular position with respect to thehammer rest rail so that the cushion will be nearest the strings :it thebase end of the notes.

6. In a piano, the combination ot` the hammers, a hammer rest rail, a'felt cushion mounted on the face of the hammer rest rail, and means formoving the felt cushion to an angular position with respect to thehammer rest rail, comi'nising an operating rod, arms of differentlengths supporting said operating rod, a hand lever, and connectionsfron the hand lever for swingingthe rod on theI fastened along its loweredge to the hammer rest rail, a rody for shifting the felt cushion, arms-o'f dili'erent lengths supporting said rod, a hand lever, a rock shaftoperated' therefrom. and a slotted connection between the rock shaftandthe rod, permitting the llos.

lll)

swinging of the hammer rest rail independently of the adjustment of therod.

9. In a piano, the combination of the hammers, the swinging hammer-restrail, a flexible cushion carried by the hammer rest rail, and means forsetting the flexible cushion at an angle to the hammer rest raill andstill perlmitting the swinging of the hammer rest rai 10. An adjustingdevice for the hammers of a piano comprising a hammer rest rail,

means connected therewith for supporting the hammers in a retractedposition, and means for adjusting the position of the supporting meansto cause the line of hammers to assume a position oblique to itsoriginal osition, whereby a gradual varying ot' the ength of the strokeofsaid hammers from one end of the line thereof to the other may besecured, the hammer-rest-rail being lettfree to swing during theadjustment of the supporting means.

11. An adjusting device for the hammers of a piano, comprisingfa` hammerrest rail, means connected therewith for supporting hammers in aretracted position, and means for adjusting the position ofthesupporting means to cause the line of hammers, resting on said support,to assume a position oblique to its original osition, whereby a gradualvarying of the ength of the stroke of said -armsv being of ditferenthammers from one end of the supporting means to the other may besecured, the hammer rest rail being left free to swing during theadjustment of the supporting means.

12. An adjusting device for the hammers' of a piano, comprising a hammerrest rail, a flexible cushion carried by the` rest rail and free to movefrom it at one side, a rod for moving said cushion, and arms on saidrod, each arm being pivotall supported, said lengths and Varying fromone end of the rod to the other, I, whereby when the rod is swung on thepivvmy hand, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

PETER WELIN.

Witnesses:

EDWIN B. PFUN, CHARLES L. DENGLER.

